Dr. Dunbar’s 28-Day Good Dog Challenge

Verbal Cues & Hand Signals

Day 17 · How much English has your dog learned?

Today’s challenge

Ask for Sit, Down, or Stand 10 times, in random order, words first. How many did your dog get on the very first word? By midnight tonight, text me your score out of 10. Every score counts!

Watch Ian

Warm up first

5 Come-Sits, 5 Puppy Push-ups, and one Come-Sit-Down-Sit-Stand-Down-Stand sequence, with lots of praise.

Why words?

Back on Day 9, Lightning Luring turned your food lures into hand signals. Since then, every time you’ve said a word and paused before your hand signal, your dog has been learning English as a Second Language. Today, we find out how much they’ve learned.

Dogs learn the meaning of a new word when it’s followed, again and again, by a signal they already understand. So the word must always come first.

Why does it matter? Your dog can’t see your hand signal when they’re behind you, across the room, or looking the other way. Words work everywhere.

Step by step

  1. Say the word, and keep your hands perfectly still. “Sit.” Then wait a moment.
  2. No response? Give an empty-handed hand signal. You can try the hand signal up to three times.
  3. Still stuck? Then go back to a food lure. No biggie! Your dog is still learning.
  4. Got it on the first word? Praise as if they’ve just won a gold medal, and give two food rewards!
  5. Mix it up. Ask for Sit, Down, and Stand in random order, ten times in all, and keep score.

The secret: say it, then pause

Say the word first, while standing perfectly still. Pause for half a second. Then give the hand signal. If you speak and signal at the same time, your dog watches your hand and ignores your words. With the pause, one day your dog will respond before your hand moves. Congratulations! Your dog understands the word.

Every score counts

Two out of ten? That’s two words your dog understood today that they didn’t understand a couple of weeks ago. Keep a note of your score, and test again in a few days. Nothing is more motivating than proof of progress.

I once tested an Obedience Trial Champion Sheltie. In the owner’s kitchen, the dog scored 96 percent. In the living room, 82 percent. In the backyard, 48 percent. And in a dog park, just 17 percent. Yet in the show ring, the dog had two back-to-back perfect scores.
— Ian

So don’t worry if your dog’s score drops in a new place. That’s completely normal. A dog taught Sit in the kitchen doesn’t instantly understand that Sit means sit everywhere, whoever says it. Once your dog does well in one room, try another room, then the yard, then out on a walk.

Baby steps are big steps

A worried owner once told Ian her Jack Russell puppy wouldn’t sit still for a second. So Ian got out his stopwatch. The first Sit lasted 0.2 seconds. The second, 0.2 seconds. The third, 0.6 seconds. The fourth, 1.2 seconds! She was unimpressed. So Ian asked her, “If I gave you a stock tip that was guaranteed to go up 600 percent overnight, how much would you invest?”

Check your tone

Many people use a loud, gruff voice for Down, and a soft, sweet voice for Come. Then the dog learns the tone, not the word. And if you’re feeling tired, or embarrassed to raise your voice in public, your dog won’t respond.

Try this test. Say “Down” in a high, rising, questioning voice, the way people often say “Sit?” Or say “Sit” in a deep, bossy voice while bending over, the way people often say “Down!” Does your dog still get it right? If not, they’ve been listening to your tone.

From now on, give every instruction in a calm, neutral, friendly voice, so your dog can focus on the word itself. Save all the feeling for your praise!

Tonight: stuff some chew toys!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Tonight, stuff a few chew toys, like Kongs, with moistened kibble and pop them in the freezer. You’ll thank me tomorrow!

Special tips

My dog only responds to the hand signal.

That’s normal at first. Make sure you say the word first, stand perfectly still, and pause before you move your hand. Your dog needs that little gap to learn that the word predicts the signal.

My dog guesses, and gets it wrong.

No biggie. Calmly repeat the word, then give the hand signal. Keep mixing up the order, so guessing doesn’t pay.

My dog gets Sit but not Stand.

Stand is usually the last word dogs learn, because it’s the position we practice least. Practice Stand a little more, and celebrate when they get it.

Should I say my dog’s name first?

Yes, it helps. Say your dog’s name to get their attention, then the word: “Rover, Down.” Because you’re mixing up the positions, your dog has to listen to find out which one you want.

My score went down today.

That happens! Maybe you’re in a new place, or your dog is tired or distracted. Go back somewhere easy, finish on a success, and test again tomorrow.

What’s next

  • Tomorrow, Day 18, it’s a Thanksgiving Settle, with those stuffed chew toys.
  • Use it every day. Words first, then the hand signal only if needed.

Filming tips and prizes: Videos and Prizes.

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